Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 4 SepteMber 2017

At Sunday services, messages

of hope after Harvey’s wrath

By The Associated Press
Debris and muck were all that remained where homes
once stood, tens of thousands spent the night in shel-
ters, and others would weather another long day with-
out safe drinking water or electricity. Yet, in churches
across storm-ravaged South Texas, parishioners saw
hope amid the devastation, and sought strength in
faith.
Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday a “Day of Prayer”
and urged residents to be steeled by their beliefs at a
time of crisis.
One Catholic congregation exiled by floodwaters held
a makeshift service at a high school, another set out
bug spray along with holy water, while pastors and
priests talked of helping those in need and restoring a
region left in shambles by Harvey.
-At the First Baptist Church in Humble, Texas, a morning
service was held for about 2,000 people in the parking
Worshipers attend a makeshift outdoor church service in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Sunday,
Sept. 3, 2017, in Port Aransas, Texas. lot. A pile of debris was stacked at one end of the lot,
(AP Photo/Eric Gay) the church that was once flooded with more than 2
Houston braces for new Harvey flooding feet of water on the other. Hundreds of volunteers have
been helping strip the building of damaged materials.
By MICHAEL GRACZYK two booms and saw thick some waterlogged homes -The service at Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch was
WILL WEISSERT black smoke. in western parts of the filled with talk of the deadly storm and its aftermath,
Associated Press He said the explosions were city that still more flood- and the way forward.
HOUSTON (AP) — Authori- louder than one he heard ing could be heading their “Harvey came, but it didn’t take us out,” Osteen said,
ties launched a controlled Friday when two contain- way — not from rain but after congregants listened to a live band accompa-
burn Sunday at a chemi- ers burned and that there from releases of water in nied by a light show, while many of the attendees
cal plant damaged by was much more smoke. overtaxed reservoirs. stood and waved their arms. “We are going to come
Harvey that already had Three trailers contain- At least 4,700 Houston out of this stronger than before.”
seen several explosions, ing highly unstable com- dwellings were under new, The televangelist and his Lakewood Church had been
saying the highly unstable pounds had already mandatory evacuation criticized last week on social media for not offering to
compounds needed to be caught fire at the plant orders, though about 300 shelter people driven out of their homes. The church
neutralized. after backup generators people were thought to later opened its doors for those in need.
Officials announced “pro- were engulfed by Har- be refusing to leave. Osteen urged those at the service and those watch-
active measures” to ignite vey’s floodwaters, which Near the town of Liber- ing online, “Don’t run away from your faith, run to your
the six remaining trailers at knocked out the refrigera- ty, northeast of Houston, faith.”
the Arkema plant in Cros- tion necessary to keep the some in outlying areas had He assured them, “Joy comes in the morning.”
by, but said it wouldn’t organic peroxides from yet to even return to their -Only days before Harvey hit, congregants at Christ
pose any additional risk to degrading and catching homes. United Church of Cypress, Texas, had celebrated re-
the community. fire. “This will last for some peo- turning to their beloved church after a long absence.
People living within a mile Some Houston officials ple for months, if not years,” In the spring of 2016, the building had been devas-
and a half of the site are stressed that the recovery said Liberty Fire Chief Brian tated by a storm that forced the congregation to gut
still evacuated. from Harvey was begin- Hurst. Contradictions could the historic structure and rebuild. Now, with the small
Video broadcast Sunday ning, and Mayor Sylvester be seen as well in those brick church extensively damaged, the work must start
afternoon showed small Turner proclaimed Amer- with damaged homes again.
flames burning in charred ica’s fourth-largest city taking a break from their About 60 people gathered for a service Sunday at the
structures at the plant, with “open for business.” But cleanup efforts in the swel- church about 30 miles northwest of Houston, where
a limited amount of light the on-the-ground reality tering heat to worship on a Pastor Jeffrey Willey said he reminded his congrega-
gray smoke. varied by place. declared National Day of tion that “the church is not the building. We are the
John Rull, who lives two Utility crews went door-to- Prayer, while others worried church.”
miles away, told the Hous- door shutting off power about thefts in storm-rav- “We have to tear down all the walls again,” he said in
ton Chronicle he heard and warning those still in aged neighborhoods.q a telephone interview.q